LOCATION CATHAY NDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Glossic Natrudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cathay loam - on a 1 percent plane southwest-facing slope in a cultivated field. When described, the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common roots; many fine pores; few gray patches of clean sand grains; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined A horizons 6 to 14 inches thick)
E--8 to 9 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium platy; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 17 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) dry; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; light gray (10YR 7/1) dry clean silt and sand grains on tops and sides of prisms; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry organic stains on faces of prisms; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--17 to 22 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) dry; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) dry faint clay films on faces of prisms; few medium gypsum crystals; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined Bt horizons 6 to 20 inches thick)
Bky--22 to 32 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) dry; common coarse distinct light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry redoximiorphic depletions; weak medium and coarse prismatic structures; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many gypsum crystals; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 25 inches thick)
C--32 to 60 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) and very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) and dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) dry; few fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry redoximorphic concentrations; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; violent effervescence; strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Eddy County, North Dakota; about 1/2 mile south and 5 miles west of Sheyenne; 375 feet east and 120 feet north of the southwest corner, sec. 15, T. 150 N., R. 67 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 1. It is loam or silt loam.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4 and 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is very fine sandy loam, loam or silt loam. It is absent in some cultivated pedons.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4 and 3 to 5 dry, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is loam or clay loam and typically averages between 22 and 30 percent clay but ranges from 18 to 35 percent. It has moderate or strong prismatic structure which parts easily to moderate or strong blocky. Tonguing or interfingering of E horizon extends into the Bt horizon 1 inch or more, and coats sides of prisms and blocks. Some pedons have a BE, E/B or B/E horizons.
The Bky, Bk, or By horizons have hue of 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. They are loam or clay loam. The Bky and Bk horizons commonly contains 15 to 25 percent calcium carbonate. Accumulations of salts occur below 16 inches in some pedons.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y, less commonly 5Y, value of 3 to 5 and 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam. Some pedons have pockets of silt, fine sand, and pebbles.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cathay soils commonly are on level to strongly sloping ground moraines on till plains. Slope gradients commonly are less than 3 percent and range from 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in till commonly low in clay and containing pockets of silt, fine sands, and other sorted materials. The climate is cool, subhumid. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation from 16 to 20 inches. Most of the moisture falls in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cavour, Cresbard, Emrick, Fram, Heimdal, Larson, Letcher, Miranda, Parnell and Tonka soils. Cavour, Cresbard and Letcher soils are on nearby till and outwash plains. Cavour soils are fine and do not have tonguing or interfingering of E material. Cresbard soils have a fine textured Bt horizon and formed in fine-loamy till. Letcher soils are coarse-loamy. Larson and Miranda soils are in complex with Cathay soils in places. Larson soils do not have tonguing or interfingering of E material. Miranda soils have visible gypsum crystals within depths of 16 inches of the surface. Emrick, Fram and Heimdal soils are on the same till plains. They do not have natric horizons. Parnell and Tonka soils are in closed, low-lying depressions and are very poorly drained and poorly drained, respectively. They do not have natric horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is slow or moderately slow in the Bt horizon and moderate or moderately slow in the C horizon. A water table is at depths of 3 to 5 feet for a short time during wet seasons.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are cropped to small grains, hay, and pasture. Native vegetation was green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, porcupinegrass, blue grama, and a variety of forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central North Dakota. The soil is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eddy County, North Dakota, 1971.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly included with the Cresbard or Larson series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 17 inches (Ap, and E, and Bt1 horizons). Natric horizon - the zone from 9 to 22 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).